Plasma Arc and Waste Dispoal Conversion

1. PLASMA ARC
AND
WASTE DISPOSAL
CONVERSION
Li HE1, Mahmoud SAYED AHMED2
1Ph.D Assistant Prof, 2M.Eng Student
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2. CONTENT
1. Introduction
2. PGP Process Diagram
3. Plasma Gasification PGP, Plasma Arc
4. Reactors
5. Waste-to-Energy and Heat Value
6. Vetrification
7. Management and Applications
8. Conclusion and SWOT Analysis
9. Reference
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3. 1. INTRODUCTION
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4. 1. INTRODUCTION
The increasing concern for environmental issues, regulations
by Clean Air Act, the limitation for the landfill usage & Zero
Disposal, need of energy, and the consumer price index
(CPI) regarding the cost of disposal and energy is the
main purpose for this study.
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5. 2.1 PROCESS DIAGRAM
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www.plasma-wr.com/Process_diagram.html

6. 2.2 Flow Chart
The system is mainly
consists from four
phases:-
• Waste preparation and
feeding system
• Plasma thermal
treatment system
• Synthesis gas cleaning
system
• Energy recovery system
Pierre Carabin et al 6

7. 3.1. PLASMA ARC
Qin Wang, et al
HTT Canada
Torch uses various types of gases - Air, Argon
(Ar), Nitrogen (N2), Oxygen (O2), etc. and
electrodes from different metals such as
Copper (Cu), Hafnium (Hf), Tungsten (W), etc.
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8. 3.2. PLASMA GASIFICATION
• Gasification is to produces fuel gas to
produce steam and electricity.
• Partial Oxidation Process
C + H2O => CO + H2
C +½ O2 => CO
• Typical Range of Operation:
10,000º - 40,000º F (5,600º - 22,400º C)
near the arc operating pressure 8

9. 4. REACTORS
• Plasma Cold Hearth Furnace (PCH)
• Plasma Rotating Hearth Furnace PRH
(Electron Beam – EB)
• Plasma Arc Centrifugal Treatment (PACT)
R. Burkhard et al INEICHEN, Robert 9

10. 4.2 The PACT System
The wastes are fed into
a tub rotating at 10–
40 rpm and melted
by a plasma arc,
forming a molten
pool of metals and
oxides. The slag
cools to form a
glass-like, leach-
resistant slag, while
organics are
evaporated, treated,
cleaned up, and
released .
R.K. Womack 10

11. 4.3 Equation of State (EOS)
Any amount of substance contained in a
system, the temperature1, volume2,
pressure3, and (internal energy) 4 are not
independent quantities; they are connected
in a relationship.
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12. 5. W-t-E AND HEAT VALUE
Heat Value is
generated from
burring of
organic
David H.F. Liu et al
materials
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13. Where HHV = higher heating value in Btu/Lb
5.2 Estimating Combustion
Velzy and Hechlinger 1987
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David H.F. Liu et al

14. 6.1. VETRIFICATION
Generates a durable, homogenous,
vitrified waste with safe confinement of
the hazardous feeds and high organic
removal efficiency.
J.P. Chu et al 14

15. 6.
J.P. Chu et al 15

16. 6.2 Phase Separation
Producing
• Glass
• Construction Materials
Qin Wang, et al
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17. 7. MANAGEMENT & APPLICATIONS
Marie Lynn Miranda et al
A study done to calculate the estimated prices for
landfill versus WTE for several countries based on a
production for 578 kWh from 1 ton of waste in landfill
or in WTE.
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18. 7.1 Electricity Generation & Environment
Almost one ton of MSW gives 550 kilowatt of energy
which is approximately, the same amount produced
by 1 barrel of oil (138.8 kg / barrel of oil). Electricity
consumption per capita was recorded to be 16,753
KWh per Capita in Canada, 1,275 KWh per Capita in
Egypt, and 2,179 KWh per Capita in China.
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19. 7.2 Prevalence of WTE
Source: P. Stehlik / Journal of Cleaner
Production 17 (2009) 919–931
MSW management in EU is divided into
distribution between Landfill, Recycling, and
Incineration
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20. 8. CONCLUSION & SWOT
Strength : controlled temperature
Weakness : high operational cost
Opportunity : treat all types of wastes
Threat : competing technology
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21. REFERENCES
• Startech Environmental Corp, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhNqL-1VrcE
• R.K. Womack, ” Using the Centrifugal Method for the Plasma-Arc Vitrification
of Waste “,JOM, 51 (10) (1999), pp. 14–16.,
• Burkhard, W. Hoffelner and R.C. Eschenbach, “Recycling of metals from
waste with thermal Plasma”, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 10 (
1994 ) 11-16. Elsevier Science B.V
• US Department of Energy, “Waste Vitrification Systems”, March 1999
• Marie Lynn Miranda, Brack Hale, “Waste not, want not”, ELSEVIER, Energy
Policy, Vol. 25, No. 6, pp. 587-600, 1997
• Pierre Carabin, Gillian Holcraft, “Plasma Resource Recovery Technology”,
NAWTEC13-3155, ASME, May 23-25, 2005, Orlando, Florida USA.
• Petr Stehlik, “Contribution to advances in waste-to-energy technologies”,
Journal of Cleaner Production, Journal of Cleaner Production 17 (2009)
919–931
• David H.F. Liu, “Environmental Engineer’s Handbook”, CRC Press LLC, 1999
• Qin Wang, Jian-Hua Yan, Yong Chi, Xiao-Dong Li, Sheng-Yong Lu,
“Application of thermal plasma to vitrify fly ash from municipal solid waste
incinerators”, Elsevier, 2009
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22. Cont.
• J. P. Chua, I. J. Hwanga, C. C. Tzengb, Y. Y. Kuob and Y. J. Yub,
“Characterization of vitrified slag from mixed medical waste surrogates
treated by a thermal plasma system”, Journal of Hazardous Materials
Volume 58, Issues 1-3, February 1998, Pages 179-194.
• Jonathan S. Bilmes, Susan F. Hemenway, “Applying Lessons Learned
from WtE Feasibility Study”,NAWTEC14-3183
• Jeremy K. O’Brien, “Comparison of Air Emission from W-t-E Facilities
to Fossil Fuel Power Plants”, NAWTEC14-3187
• PWR, Website http://www.plasma-wr.com/PWR_web_fullscreen.html
• P. Kavouras, Ph. Komninou*, K. Chrissafis, G. Kaimakamis, S. Kokkou,
K. Paraskevopoulos, Th. Karakostas, “Microstructural changes of
processed vitrified solid waste products”, Journal of the European
Ceramic Society 23 (2003) 1305–1311
• Enori Gemellia*, Nelson Heriberto Almeida Camargob, Janaína
Brescansinc, “Evaluation of Paper Industry Wastes in Construction
Material Applications”, ISSN 1516-1439, Mat. Res. vol.4 no.4 São
Carlos Oct. 2001
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23. WE COVERED
Plasma Arc and Waste Disposal Conversion
1. Introduction
2. PGP Process
3. PGP & Plasma Arc
4. Reactors
5. W-t-E and HHR
6. Vetrification
7. Management
8. Conclusion and SWOT
9. Reference
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24. THANK YOU
Plasma arc gasification facility is a
recourse recovery process
Trash + Plasma = Electricity + Obsidian
QUESTIONS?
Mahmoud S. AHMED
M76Ahmed@ryerson.ca
www.linkedin.com/in/mahmouchaaban
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